Authors of multi-study papers: why study 1, study 2a, and study 2b VS. study 1, study 2, and study 3? For me the latter is my preference because it doesn't introduce an extra layer of complexity and makes counting the samples straightforward but what is the advantage of studies 2a/b? - ThreadSky

mwkraus.bsky.social • 148 days ago

Authors of multi-study papers: why study 1, study 2a, and study 2b VS. study 1, study 2, and study 3?

For me the latter is my preference because it doesn't introduce an extra layer of complexity and makes counting the samples straightforward but what is the advantage of studies 2a/b?

Comments

mvranka.bsky.social•148 days ago

sometimes two studies are much more similar to each other then to the remaining one, so it makes sense to communicate this with Xa / Xb... with three studies, it does not make much of a difference, but with 5-6 or more studies, it can help quite a bit...

mwkraus.bsky.social•148 days ago

In the paper, do you ever say the reasoning explicitly, or is the xa/b shorthand for it?

mvranka.bsky.social•143 days ago

it is a shorthand, but maybe if there is a part with general overview of the paper's structure, their similarity could be mentioned explicitly

mwkraus.bsky.social•143 days ago

I like that

mikeypasek.bsky.social•148 days ago

I wonder this a lot too. I think sometimes I lean toward 2a 2b when question/hypotheses are same, but one is preregistered replication or so similar having a new study with all APA parts adds repetition. Curious what others think too!

justinsulik.bsky.social•148 days ago

On one occasion, it's because I originally had study 1 and study 2, so when a reviewer asked for more data, that new data became study 1b to highlight that it was an added variation on study 1, and not the middle of three conceptually equal studies

kateratliff.bsky.social•148 days ago

I use it in two situations: (1) two studies are identical but run with different samples (e.g., a convenience sample and a representative sample), and (2) the second study is a pre-registered direct replication of the first. But always only when methods are exactly the same.

mwkraus.bsky.social•148 days ago

Follow up, do you ever explain the labeling in the study or is the a/b designation shorthand for the study similarity?

kateratliff.bsky.social•148 days ago

Explain! Just a little pre-study text that says something like “Studies 1A and 1B are identical except XYZ.”

mwkraus.bsky.social•148 days ago

I think it really matters!

Comments

Posting Rules

Reply